Pickling apparatus



March 22, 1932.

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H. c. ALLMAN ET Al. 1,850,488

PICKLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet `l` 12609705022' /fEA/RYC, 7L M4/V,

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March 22, 1932. H, C, ALLMAN ET AL PIcKLN APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet gy: my

March 22, 1932. H Q ALLMAN vET AL 1,850,488

PICKLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheenv 5 Q N Q n PQ Il WI HHH, Ill

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Patented Mar. 22, 1932 iJNrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY ALLMAN AND WILLIAM LEROY DAVIS, OF NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO,

ASSIGNOBS TO AMERICAN SHEET AND TIN PLATE NEW JERSEY CRMIANY, A CORPORATION OF PICKLING APPARATUS Application tiled. August 6, 1930. Serial No. 473,464.

This invention relates broadly to pickling apparatus and more particularly to a machine for pickling metal bars, 'sheets and the like wherein the material to be pickled is suspended within a vat or tank containing the pickling Huid and given a reciprocatory motion to agitate the fluid about the material and accelerate' the washing and scouring action. A

In machines of this class the metal stock is generally reciprocated horizontally yor carried back and forth in the vat or tank on a crate or the like, which is rigidly held or suspended from suitable supports so that the 15 reciprocatory motion is in a straight horizontal plane. It has been found that a more violent agitation or turbulency of 'the pickling Huid about the material can be obtained if thisreciprgsating motion is varied from a In the .present machine this variation from a straight horizontal plane is obtained by permitting the crate with the material thereon to swing in an arc at the end of each stroke and not only 5 is a moreviolent agitation 'ofthe iiuid obtained but less power is required in the operation ofl the machine. Furthermore, it would be impracticalA to reciprocate'the material with any degree of rapidity if the crate 3 were rigidly suspended or supported as the crate and material thereon are comparatively heavy and considerable vibration would result and the power required toaccelerate and retard the crate at the termination of each fr; stroke would be considerable.

By permitting the crate to swing free at lxvthje end of each stroke the speed of reciprocation may be increased Without excessive vibration and less power is required in the retarding and accelerating action atthe termination of each stroke.

'n An object of thepresent invention, thereforeg/is to improve the efficiency of machines 5 of this class by increasing the turbulency of the pickling Huid about the materlal and at the same time reducing the amount of power required to operate the machine. y

Another object of the inventionis to p rovide a method of suspending or supporting the crate carrying the materlal tol be pickled so that a minimum of parts are exposed to the act1on of the acid, thus reducing the amount of anti-acid metal or material required in the construction of the machine.

Among other advantages the present improved machine contemplates a particular f orm of driving mechanism whereby the eiiciency of the machineis further increased. Other objects andj advantages residentin the improved pickling machine will become apparent 1n view of the specification and clalms taken in conjunction'with the drawings, wherein Y Figure 1 is a plan of a pickling machine embodying the features of the invention.

y Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof. yFigure 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line III-III of FigureQ.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are, respectively, views' in plan, side elevation and end elevation of. a preferred form of crate hanger used with the machine. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a pickling vat or tank which may be made of or lined with suitable material which will not beaifected by the acids of the pickling Huid. This vat or tankmay be disposed in a convenient position relatively to the reciprocating truck mechanism, which is supported independently of the tank on beams 6 and 7, the beams 6 providingI a support for track rails 8, on` which a reciprocating carriage 9 provided with flanged wheels 10 is mounted. This carriage 9 ma be constructed of side beams12 and end eams 13 of sufficient strength to support themetal undergoing the pickling operation. Safety guards 13 are provided along the tracks 8.

VThe preferred means for reciprocating the carriage consists of a cylinder 14, such as the ordinary pump cylinder, which is provided with a piston, not visible, to which a piston rod 15 is connected. The cylinder 14 is providedwith the lusual valve 16 for ,admitting steam or other fluid pressure to the opposite ends of the 'cylinder 14, said valve having a stem 17 projecting from one end of the valve The lower extremity of the lever 18 is engaged by a trip or actuating member or rod 20 which issecured to the adjacent extremity the piston rod 15 connected to the carriage .9.

A crate 22 is suspended from the carnage 9 by means of suspension links 21 which are connected to the carriage 9 and the crate 22 by pivot pins 21 and 21"., respectively. The crate 22 1s preferably ribbed in the manner shown in plan in Figure 1, said links and Acrate being comprised of a material which is not affected by the acids of the pickling solution.

The material to be pickled may be laced directly on the crate 22 or may be stac ed in a cradle or crate 23, see Fig. 3, said cradle as shown comprising L-shaped clamps 24 connectediby brackets 25. The cradle 23 is suspended 1n the pickling tank by means. of hangers generally indicated at 26 and preferably comprising sheet bars 27 which are riveted together at opposite extremities and spaced centrally by reinforcing bars 28. On each bar 27 hanger brackets'or yokes 29 are secured, said brackets being bent to form eyes 30 at their upper extremities to receive crane hooks, and forked and formed with holes 31 at their low'er extremities, the crate or crates 23 being suspended from these hangers 29 by means of pins 32, note Fig. 2. When placed in position on the truck 9the opposite extremities of the hangers 29 rest on saddles 33 mounted on the side beams l2, a plurality of airs of saddles being provided to accommodate a plurality of cradles 23.

In the instance shown. the material to be pickled comprises slabs of metal B which are held in stacked relation in the crate or cradle 23 and the latter suspended in the tan-k by means of the hanger 26. The cradles 23 may, however, be placed directly on the crate 22 and serve principally as a convenient loading means. o

The operation of the apparatus is readily apparent. The crate 22er cradle 23 may be supplied with the material to be pickled and suspended froml the carriage 9 in the tank or vat 5, and the carriage reciprocated by the cylinder 14 to facilitate the pickling operat1on.

With the herein described method of suspending the material in thevtank, the crate or cradle is permitted to swing free, so that at the end of each stroke, the crate swings inL an arc somewhat further than the actual travel of the carriage, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, the amount of swing depending on the speed at which the truck or carriage is reciprocated. This swinging motion or overtravel of the crate or cradle creates a com aratively violent agitation of v Thus the principal working parts of the machine are not ex osed to the action of the acids in the pickling fluid and do not require anti-acid metal in their construction and maintenance. i

Another advantage is that the truck and reciprocating mechanism are supported entirely separate from the tank 5, so that the.l

latter is relieved of any vpart of the weight of the machine and material being pickled. Also, the 'truck and 'cylinder both being mounted on the same frame, there 1s no tendency toward misalinement of these parts.

An advantage of the cylinder 14 lies in the gradual acceleration and retardation of the carriage during reciprocation thereof, the start of each stroke being comparatively slow, gradually increasing in speed to nearly the end of the stroke, when steam is admitted tothe opposite end of the cylinder, whereupon a comparatively sudden but well cushioned stop and reversal of Amovement of the carriage ensues, the crate at this time swinging beyond the actual travel of the carriage and causing a surge of the picklin fluid about the material undergoing the ickling operation, with the advantages herelnbefore specified.

It will be obvious, however, that apparatus other than a cylinder may be used for propelling the apparatus. `For example, the rod 15 may be connected to the pin of a crank arm on a crankshaft and the crank-shaft nlziy be driven by an electric motor or the What is claimed as new is:

1. .Pickling apparatus compri-sing a tank, trackways mounted at opposite sides of said tank, a carriage mounted for travel on said trackways, a crate swingably suspended from said carriage for movement relative thereto in the direction of travel of the ycarria e, and means for imparting a gradually acce, erated and retarded reciprocatory motion to the carriage.

2. Pickling apparatus comprising a tank,`v

trackway-s mounted at opposite sides of, said f tank, a carriage mounted for travel on said trackways, a crate suspended from said carriage so as to swing relatively thereto in the direction of travel of the carriage, a fluidactuated carriage reciprocating means mounted in operative alinement with the carriage, and a valve operable by said carriage for controlling the How of fluid to 'said fluid actuated carriage reciprocating means.

3. Pickling apparatus comprising a tank, trackways mounted at opposite sides of but separately from said tank, a Wheeled carriage mounted on said trackways, means for imparting a gradually accelerated and retarded reciprocatory motion to said carriage, and a crate suspended from said carriage and v adapted to swing relatively thereto at each recprocation thereofto increase the turbulency of the pickling Huid about the material being pickled. In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands.

HENRY C. ALLMAN. WILLIAM LEROY DAVIS. 

